Car-starter



(No Mode 1'.)

. C, J. UNDERWOOD.

Car Starter. No. 237,932. Patented Feb. 15,1881.

W /////////////fl/ UNITED STATES ATENT Fries.

CAR-STARTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 237,932, dated February 15, 1881. Application filed December 16, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, CHARLES J. UNDER- WOOD, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Starters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of this invention is in arresting the forward movement of a horse-car, to secure thereby a compression of a spring or springs in such manner that their reaction may be utilized to assist in the again starting of the car; and to that end it consists of mechanism arranged, in connection with the running-gear of a horse-car and a stationary spring or springs, in a manner that, when so desired, the spring or springs will becompressed by and through the forward movement of the car, and on their reaction will impel the car forward. and all so that in the running of horse-cars the horses may be assisted in starting the car and otherwise, substantially as hereinafter'described.

In the accompanying plate of drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are plan views with some parts in section, showing my improved car-starting mechanism, Fig. 1 showing it before the mechanism is put into operation, and Fig. 2 after it has been put into operation and before releasing it to impel the car forward. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 2, with some parts in vertical section.

In the drawings, A represents the forward body part, and B the forward wheels, and 0 their axle, of a horse-car.

D is a horizontal cross-head in the horizontal plane and back of the forward axle, U, and there secured firmly in position.

E is a horizontal semi-elliptical spring, lying against the forward face of the cross-head,with its arch toward the forward car-axle, O, and it is confined in this position at each end by blocks a a, suitably constructed for the spring to be free to slide lengthwise upon the crosshead D when compressed or forced toward the cross-head, but otherwise to be held against escape. This semi-elliptical spring is in the same horizontal plane as the forward car-axle, and to its front side is pivoted one end of a female screw-threaded sleeve, F, which sleeve can thus swing horizontally upon the spring, the sleeve being suitably supported from the bottom of the car. This threaded sleeve E receives a male-screw-threaded plug,G, that carries a bevel-gear wheel, H, which is journaled, at b, in a loose sleeve, d, surrounding the caraXle O. This loose sleeve (1 carries a bevelgear wheel, J, which is loose upon the car-axle, and is similar to and meshes into the gearwheel H of the screw-threaded plug G. The bevel-gear wheel J of the caraxle O is adapted, around its edge and face f, to secure a frictional contact, and hold between it and the countersunk party of the side face, h, a ratchet-wheel, K, rigidly attached to the car-axle.

L is a lever-arm, arranged horizontally upon the under side of the car, and at one end connected to the sliding sleeve 01 of the car-axle, and at the other end in position to be acted upon by the downward movement of a vertical wedge, M, in the proper direction to put the bevel-gear wheel J and the ratchet-wheel K of the car-axle into frictional contact. The wedge M is placed in a convenient situation for the driver to manipulate it, and when forced down, as before stated, it places, through the lever L, the bevel-gear wheel and the ratchet-wheel of the car-axle into frictional contact, and, obviously, such frictional contact will continue while itis so held down, and be discontinued the moment the pressure of the wedge M upon the lever is released. This frictional contact between the bevel-gear wheel J and ratchet-wheel K is secured by the slide of the gear-wheel toward the ratchet-wheel, and the release of the frictional contact is by the slide of the gearwheel from the ratchet-wheel, and in both of these movements the meshing bevel-gear wheel H, attached to the screw-threaded plug, moves with the bevel-gear wheel J of the car-axle.

N is a horizontal bar, arranged to move through a guideway, Z, secured to the under side of the car-body. This bar, at its inner end, I

engages with a loop, m, midway of the length of the semi-elliptical spring E, and at its outer end, 02, it is suitably constructed for the attachment of the whiffletree to which the horses are hitched. This bar N, which, for convenience in designation, will hereinafter be called the draw-bar, intermediate of its length, is provided with a series of ratchet-teeth, o, suitably located and shaped for an engagement between them and the teeth of the ratchet-wheel K,which spring, carrying with it the draw-bar N.

i the screw-thread has a suitable pitch,) and the horse-car at the time he applies the ordinary is secured to the car-axle when the draw-bar is drawn or moved forward--that is, toward the forward end of the car-bodybut when pushed or moved in the opposite direction to pass freely over the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, and for the ratchet-wheel to pass freely under the teeth of the draw-bar in the forward travel of the car, which movement of the draw-bar is allowed by its arm Q playing loosely in the slot 8 in the spring E. This draw-bar N has a fixed collar or shoulder, p, which, with the draw-bar in its most forward position, rests and presses forwardly against a stationary abutment, O, on the bottom of the car, which is in proper position therefor, and when the car is pulled forward by the horses the said parts are in contact, and thus the strain of such pull is there sustained.

If in the forward travel of the car the bevelgear J and ratchet-wheel K be clutched togetherthat is, placed in frictional contact through the lever L an d there held-obvious] y, in the further turning of the axle O, the screwthread plug G, through the revolution of the bevel-gear wheels, will be then turned within the screw-threaded sleeve in a direction to press the sleeve backward against the semi'elliptical spring E, which obviouslycompresses such It, now, the pressure which holds the frictional clutch in contact be released, obviously the semi-elliptical spring is then free to react, by which the screw-threaded plug is drawn into the screw-threaded sleeve, (for which purpose draw-bar is forced forward, and as it so moves forward through its ratchetteeth the car-axle and its wheels are revolved, and thus the car to that extent impelled forward independent of the forward pull of the horses.

From the above, it is plain to be seen that with a proper manipulation of the mechanical devices above described by the driver of a brakes to arrest the forward movement of the car, the then forward movement of the car until it is fully stopped is utilized to compress the spring, and thus a power given to it which, in reacting when the car is again to travel forward, will assist to start the car in such travel, and to that extent relieve and otherwise facilitate the horses in their pull at the time of starting the car.

Various means other than those herein described may be employed to establish contact between the two parts of the frictional clutch, and a spring or springs of other forms than elliptical may be employed.

As described, the horses are connected to the draw-bar, in which case, when the brakes are applied and my mechanism putinto operation, the car and horses actually approach each other or come nearer together, and thus in the again starting of the car the horses are allowed a forward movement before meeting with resistance from the car, which of itself is an advantage in the pull of the horses, and,again, a still greater advantage when it is considered that at the time they meet with resistance from the car the inertia of the car has, in fact, been overcome, and the car is in actual motion by reason of the reaction of thecompressed spring, as has been described. The ratchetbar, however, may not be made to act as the draw-bar, but it is preferable to make it the draw-bar because of the advantages resulting therefrom, as before described.

lhe draw-bar can be attached to the spring in any other manner desired than as shown, to allow for the slip of the teeth over the ratchetwheel, for the purpose above described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a car-starter, the combination, with the axle 0, provided with theratchet-wheel K, of the spring E, arranged to be, by i ntermediate mechanism, compressed from the rotation of said axle, and the draw-bar N, connected to said spring and provided with the ratchetteeth 0, arranged to be moved rearwardly, and automatically engaged with said ratchet-wheel as the spring is compressed, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A horse-car starter composed of a spring or springs, E, a female-screw-threaded sleeve, F, pivoted thereto, and into which enters a n1alescrew-threaded plug, Gr, having a bevelgear wheel, H, journaled in a sleeve, d, which also has a bevel-gear wheel, J, and is loose on the car-axle C, in combination with a fixed ratchet-wheel, K, of the car-axle, a ratchetbar, N, connected to said springs and in position to engage with the ratchet-wheel K, and mechanism suitable to put the gear-wheel and ratchet-wheel into connection, all substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set w CHARLES J. UNDERWOOD.

Vitnesses:

EDWIN W. BROWN, W. S. BELLows. 

